Bus driver and conductor snatch police AK-47, knock down officer in Enugu

• Enugu Police Command is searching for a Mitsubishi L300 bus driver and conductor accused of assaulting officers and snatching a police rifle.

• Police said the incident happened at All Saints Roundabout along Abakaliki Road, Enugu, on July 9.

• The suspects allegedly dragged away an officer’s AK-47 rifle after knocking him down while attempting to escape.

• The recovered rifle was found intact with ammunition, while police continue efforts to arrest the suspects. 

The Enugu State Police Command has launched a manhunt for a commercial bus driver and his conductor after they were accused of assaulting police officers, knocking down an officer and snatching a police AK-47 rifle during an attempt to evade arrest. 

The suspects, who were identified as the driver and conductor of a Mitsubishi L300 commercial bus, are wanted for alleged offences including conspiracy, serious assault on police officers, dangerous driving, attempted murder and snatching of a police rifle. 

According to the spokesperson of the Enugu State Police Command, SP Daniel Ndukwe, the incident happened at about 1:20pm on Thursday, July 9, at All Saints Roundabout along Abakaliki Road, Enugu. 

Ndukwe said the police received information that the driver and conductor had allegedly assaulted a traffic police officer on duty, prompting operatives of the command’s Distress Response Squad (DRS) to intercept the vehicle. 

The police spokesperson alleged that the driver initially slowed down as though he was complying with the officers’ instruction but suddenly accelerated in an attempt to escape.

According to the police account, the vehicle knocked down one of the officers during the escape attempt, and the officer’s AK-47 rifle became entangled with the vehicle and was dragged away. 

The command said the suspects later threw the rifle out of the vehicle at IMT Bus Stop along Abakaliki Road while fleeing.

The recovered rifle was reportedly found intact with its ammunition. 

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Following the incident, the Enugu State Commissioner of Police, Mamman Giwa, ordered a comprehensive investigation and directed security operatives to intensify efforts to arrest the fleeing suspects. 

The commissioner also urged the driver and conductor to surrender themselves for investigation, while warning against assaulting or obstructing police officers carrying out their duties. 

The police have not announced any arrest in connection with the incident as of the latest update.